Apparatus for holding semiconductor laser bars for transport to and from and during a coating process are known. A known apparatus 10, as shown in FIG. 1, includes a pair of vertical supports 12, a connector web 20, and a plurality of webs 30. Each support has a track 14 in which the connector web 20 moves.
The connector web 20 includes a main portion 22, an intermediate portion 24, and an interlocking portion 26. The webs 30 each have interlocking clips 32, a main portion 36, and interlocked flanges 34. The clips 32 of the uppermost web 30 attach to the interlocking portion 26 of the connector web 20. The clips 32 of each subsequent web 30 attach to the flanges 34 of the next above web 30. In this way, a train of interlocking webs 30 can be attached to the connector web 20.
A laser bar 50 is positionable on a top surface 37 of the main portion 36 between the pair of interlocking portions 26 (FIG. 2).
One problem encountered in the operation of the above-described apparatus 10 is that sometimes the connector web 20 becomes stuck at jam points 40 in the track 14. This is sometimes due to improper alignment caused by the connector web 20 being imbalanced at its center of gravity and tipping in one direction. This imbalance may be caused by laser bars 50 not being uniformly loaded on the webs 30. Such nonuniform loading may lead to laser bars falling out of the webs 30 during the coating process. When properly aligned, the connector web 20 fits snugly within the tracks 14, since a width d.sub.1 of the connector web 20 is slightly less than a distance d.sub.3 between the tracks 14. Length d.sub.2, which corresponds to the distance between the points on the connector web 20 which become jammed at the jam points 40, is greater than the width d.sub.1 and equal to or greater than the distance d.sub.3.
When the connector web 20 becomes jammed in the tracks 14, time must be taken to unjam the connector web 20. Care must also be taken to prevent disturbance of the laser bars 50 being carried on the top surfaces 37 of the webs 30. There thus exists a need for a coating fixture that does not become jammed by the connector web 20.